Posted on 06/09/2010 10:00:05 AM PDT by inflorida
Fourth-grade teacher Jarretta Hamilton was newly married and expecting a baby when she went to speak with her supervisors in April of last year.
But the administrators at Southland Christian School in St. Cloud parried her query about maternity leave with a query of their own: When did she conceive?
After Hamilton admitted that her child had been conceived about three weeks before her February 20, 2009, wedding, the school fired her.
Now she's suing in federal court.
"She wants compensation for the loss of the job, and she's seeking compensatory damages for emotional distress," said Edward Gay, Hamilton's attorney who filed the suit in U.S. District Court in Orlando.
In the complaint, which asks for a trial by jury, Hamilton alleges her termination was based on the fact of her pregnancy — and that the school offended her by disclosing the information about when she conceived to other school staffers and the parents of students Hamilton taught during the 2008-2009 school year.
Hamilton did not authorize the school to reveal that information, according to the complaint.
She also tried to keep the matter from getting to this point, Gay said. She filed discrimination charges with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Florida Commission on Human Relations, but has since exhausted her options.
A July 20, 2009, letter signed by school administrator Julie Ennis explains why the school's administrators thought they had to fire Hamilton:
"Jarretta was asked not to return because of a moral issue that was disregarded, namely fornication, sex outside of marriage," the letter reads. "The employment application, which she filled out, clearly states that as a leader before our students we require all teachers to maintain and communicate the values and purpose of our school."
(Excerpt) Read more at orlandosentinel.com ...
Just where did she think she was employed? Boulder High?
Why did she admit that?
That was her mistake.
When she conceived is nobody’s business.
Of course the school did the right thing. In fact, they should have all non married applicants have their virginity verified before employment! < /Sarc>
“Teacher to Sue Employer for Expecting Her to Abide by Her Employment Contract.”
But it was tacky of the school to ask. Much better to leave it alone and pretend the baby’s premature.
Isn’t this a private school in a non-union state?
Pretty much fire anyone for any reason. or no reason.
Firing her is one thing, revealing private medical information is another.
That should be their choice.
The question has a medical connotation to it, they had no right to ask it under HPAA laws. They just handed her a big payday.
Glad to see a school, Christian or otherwise, stand up for what is right. I applaud this school and its principal.
Their private school, their rules. I’m sure she signed a moral agreement. She is a teacher, so she should no better. Sounds like the teacher was being dishonest.
I hope she loses the lawsuit.
Waiting for the flood of idiots to come onto the post complaining about how evil a private, Christian school is for holding its employees to certain moral standards.
sad story. Sorry to see this sort of thing happen.
The school is in trouble.
It sounds like the legal issue is that the school released private information to the public.
>> administrators at Southland Christian School in St. Cloud parried her query about maternity leave with a query of their own: When did she conceive?
The correct answer is “Mind your own damn business.”
She actually may have a good case for revealing medical information without authorization. The firing may be a different story legally ... but the school’s behavior here is hardly exemplary.
Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.
SnakeDoc
Oh please enlighten us as to what “christian” principal was upheld here.
Really wish these institutions acted so swiftly when their teachers are caught screwing around with their students.
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